The County of San Mateo strongly believes that a high standard of ethical behavior by its employees is critical to accomplishing the County’s mission. By preventing, to the extent possible with reasonable resources, unethical behavior and/or internal control failures, public confidence in the stewardship of the County’s resources can be maintained.

To uphold these standards, all individuals are encouraged to report possible violations of laws, regulations and rules governing the conduct of County officers and employees.

Any retaliation or reprisal by any County officer or employee against any complainant or informant is strictly prohibited; provided, however, if it is determined that a complaint was filed by a County employee in bad faith, said employee may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. This prohibition against retaliation is in addition to the protections contained in California Labor Code section 1102.5, and any amendment thereto.

Filing a Complaint:

If you believe that a County employee or officer has engaged in improper governmental activity including, but not limited to, fraud, waste, and abuse of County resources, you are encouraged to report such suspected improper activity through one of the following means:

Obtain a complaint form from the Office of the County Counsel at 400 County Center, 6th Floor, Redwood City, CA or call the office at 650-363-4250 during regular business hours. Completed forms regarding suspected improper governmental activity may be submitted to any of the following County offices:

Office of the County Manager/Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
Hall of Justice and Records
400 County Center, 1st Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063

Office of the District Attorney
Hall of Justice and Records
400 County Center, 3rd Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063

All reports of suspected improper governmental activity –whether made via telephone, online, or through submission of a hard-copy form – may be made anonymously. Please note, however, that anonymous complaints may be more difficult to investigate or review due to an inability to contact the source for further information or clarification.